Sieve



-Feb.6,1923. 4,444,275. 1. Y. ROBERTSON.

SIEVE.

FILED FEB. 13, 1922. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

aigymefm;

Quorum,

Feb. 6, 1923. 11,444,275. J- Y. ROBERTSON. .SIEVE.

FILED FEB. 13, 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN ROBERTSUN, OF EL TPASO, TEXAS.

SIEVE.

Application filed February 13, 1922.

To ((7! 'ZiZlOIYL it may concern:

me it known l Joni? Y. lclosnnrson, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sieves, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to sieves or sitters, and is adaptable particularly for use in connection with flour bins or hoppers, or containers for other granular or powdered materials, the primary object ot the invention being to provide a sitt r of simple construction easy operation, and which assures delivery of the material from the bin or hopper in a thoroughly clean and sanitary manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sitter of the character and for the purposes stated, which is so constructed and operates in such manner that grinding up of foreign matter or other impurities which may happen to be contained in the material being sifted will be prevented, and such impurities will be precluded passage through the sitter.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sitter of the character stated which is mounted in such manner as to at all times be readily accessible for the pur poses of cleaning or repair, which may be manufactured and maintained at small cost, which has its several parts so constructed and assembled as to minimize the opportunity for wear, breakage or derangement, which is extremely simple in operation, and which will prove highly effective in producing its desired results.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimeo, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower portion of a bin or container of conventional type and illustrating a practical embodiment of my invention therein.

Figure 2' an enlarged vertical sectional view through the lower portion of the container and the hopper,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the position the parts will as sume when the strainer and discharge hopper are secured to the bin,

fierial No. 536,230.

Figure i is a similar view illustrating the means whereoy the hopper is secured to the om,

5 is a transverse sectional view on line of Figure 1 and Figure 6 a similar view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1.

l erring now more particularly to the are ngs, 5 indicates the upper portion of bin or eoutainer such as commonly used for storing lour, meal or other materials or a powdered or granular nature, and the lower porti of this bin is contracted so as to provide a discharge hopper 6 of re stricted proportions. lhe interior of the hopper adpcent its upper portion may be provided with a deflector plate 7 inclined within the hopper so as to concentrate the material within the bin toward one part of the hopper, and the lower edges of this plate carry horizontally disposed guides 8 within which the slide valve or plate 9 is engaged. This slide valve or plate is connected to the inner end of an operating rod 10 said rod extending through a suitable aperture in the side of the hopper 6 and being provided its outer end ith a linger loop as at 11 for convenience in the manipulation or the valve. From this con struction it is obvious that the flow of the material within the bin may be readily governed by operation of this valve plate.

The lower edges of the hopper 6 are outwardly as at 12 at substantially right angles to the sides of the said hopper, and the outer extremities oi these angular portions extend downwardly as at 13 substantially parallel to the side walls of hopper 6.

The lower end or" hopper 6 has detachably secured thereto a tunnel portion indicated at i l. This tunnel portion at its upper end is oi. equal diameter with the hop per 6 and the upper edges thereof are outturned to provide an annular seat or ledge 15, from no outer edge of which an upwardly directed flange 16 extends, Throughout substantially the entire circumterenceot this flange the upper edgethereot may be rolled outwardly as at 17 to facilitate engaging the flange 16 about the downturned portion 13 of the hoopen It is preferred that these parts fit s gly together in such manner as to prevent vroreign mat er gain ing access to the interior of the device. The

lower portion of the funnel member 14 is bent somewhat contracted as shown, and a cap or cover'18 may be frictionally engaged insaid contracted end of the funnel.

The means herein employed for firmly holding the funnel member tothe hopper 6" includes two or more spring clamp members or arms 19. These arms are secured to the exterior of hopper 6 and extend downwardly therefrom, and are provided near their lower extremities with; inwardly directed 'portions 20v constitutingv latch members adapted toengage beneath the ledge or annulus 15 at theupperend ofthe funnel portion 14-. The lower extremities of the arms may be directed'outwardly,asat 2l to afford convenient finger grips for manipulation of the spring. arms. 7 It will be understood that the tendency of the spring arms 19 is in an inward direction, and the said funnel will therefore befirmly held in proper position upon the hopper. The roller bead 17 at the upper end of the upstanding flanges 16 may be cut away in those places where the spring arms or latch members2O pass upon the said flanges, and the gaps thusformed in the beads not only provide snug accommodations for the spring arms, but also prevent the funnel members rotating upon the hopper.

The sifter or strainer to be used in connection with the hopper comprises an annularscreen22 of suitable gage mesh wire or other fabric, horizontally disposed within thehopper, and is capable of oscillating therein: Thisfabric has its edges secured or clamped withinan annular frame indicated generally at- 23. This frame may be formed of thin-metal and lies upon the seat or ledge 15 of funnelmember 14 and is maintained properly positioned thereon by the outward extension 12 of the hopper. The metal of which this frame 23 is formed is bent uponitself inwardly of its ends as at 24, and this bent portion confines therein a wire ring indicated at 25. Those parts of the metal of-which theframe 23 is constructed lying 5 6. It will be understood that the extension 26 is coextensive with the frame of which. it is a part, and lengthwise the apron 27 extends entirely around the interior of the hopper, and by this construction it is apparent that fine material such 'as flour, meal and the like will be prevented from becoming jammed between the movable parts of thesifter, and will also be prevented leaking out of the container.

The wire ring 25 extends outwardly from one side of the sifter frame and projects through a horizontally disposed slot 28 in one side of the hopper 6, and the said outwardly extending portion of the wire ring constitutes'a handle' 29 by means of which the sifter may be manipulated.

It will be understood that the upper portion of the hopper 6 will be permanently secured to or formed as a part of the lower portion of the container 5. The material within the container will gravitate therein to the plate 7 andwill be directed to the opening near one side thereof. This material may in desired quantities be admitted to the underlying screen or sifter member 22. When it is desired to sift the materals, it is but necessary to grasp the outwardlyextending handle 29 of the screen member and to oscillate the same, and only such of the materials as are fine enough to pass through the mesh fabric 22 will be delivered from the device. All coarser material and grit, chaff and other trash will be held by the screen fabric 22. lVhen it is desired to clear the screen of this clogged material, it is but necessary to close the valve plate 9, and after oscillating the screen a few times so as to sift the material therefrom, the latch members 20 may be released from the funnel portion and the latter taken from the hopper 6. .The screen will be lifted from its posi tion upon the ledge 15 and freed of the matter clogged thereon. The screen will then be placed back in position with the handle member 29 properly engaged in the cutaway portion of the flange 16, whereupon the'funnel portion will be applied to the hopper as above described.

It will be observed that the flange portions 12 and 13 of the hopper 6 and the flange portions 15 and l6aof' the funnel 14 cooperate to produce an annular horizontal groove lying outwardly beyond the line of the walls of the hopper and funnel and having its open side or mouth portion facing inwardly, and that this annular groove receives the reinforced beaded edge of the screen 22 which is fitted to oscillate therein;

By this construction it will be apparent that the screen will be held from either upward or downward displacement by the top and bottom walls of the groove, without resort to other or auxiliary holding means, and that the mere separation of the funnel 14 from the hopper 6 breaks the groove or sepa rates the component parts thereof, thus freeing the screen 22 and allowing it to drop out so that its ready andconvenient removal for cleaning, repairs or other purposes is ensured. the spring fasteners 19 engage the flange'l6 of the funnel 14 and braces the same firmly against the flange 13 of the hopper 6, thus keeping the component parts in contact and cooperating therewith to form a locking con- It will further be observed'that nection which is tightly closed against escape of the contents of the sieve and holds the hopper and funnel securely united while admitting of the ready and simultaneous release of the funnel and screen. The formation of the cut-away portion 28 also admits of the use of an operating handle 29 for the sifter or screen, which is formed by an integral portion thereof, thus doing away with the use of auxiliary and complex means for transmitting oscillatory motion to said sifter.

From this description it is apparent that I have provided a sifter mechanism for use in connection with storage cabinets for flour, meal and other such matter, which is of extremely simple construction and yet which will perform the desired functions 1n an approved manner. it will be impossible for quantities of the matter within the device to become clogged or engaged in crevices within the device, and danger of clogging such as will prevent the screen rotating, Wlll be entirely obviated. The device may therefore be kept at all times in a sanitary manner.

While the above is a description of the invention in its preferred embodiment, I am aware that variations in the minor details of construction may be liberally resorted to if desired, and I reserve the right to make such variations as may be deemed expedient without departing from the invention as defined by the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. In a sifter, the combination of a casing comprising a hopper and a discharge funnel detachably connected therewith, said hopper and funnel having meeting portions formed to provide along their line of separation an inwardly facing horizontal U- shaped channel or groove lying substantially outside of the vertical plane of the wall of the casing, an oscillatory sieve having its peripheral portion fitted in said channel or groove and held from vertical displacement by the top and bottom walls thereof, and means for oscillating said sieve.

2. In a sitter, the combination of a casing comprising a hopper and a discharge funnel detachably connected therewith, said hopper and funnel having meeting edges provided with internesting outstruck right angularly flanged portions providing along their line of separation an inwardly facing U-shaped' channel or groove lying substantially outside of the vertical plane of the wall of the casing, an oscillatory sieve having its peripheral portion fitted in said channel or groove and held from vertical displacement by the top and bottom walls thereof, and means for oscillating said sieve.

3. In a sifter, the combination of a casing comprising a hopper and a discharge funnel detachably connected therewith, said hopper and funnel having meeting per one formed with interns-st right-angular flanges providing along line of separation inwardly f ing U-shaped channel groove lying substantially beyond the vertical plane of the wall of the casing, portions of the flange walls of said oove being cut away at a point to provi an arcuate slot, an os cillatory sieve havi its peripheral portion in said channel or groove and held from vertical dis ilacement by the top and bottom walls thereof, and an operating handle extending outwardly from said sieve through said arcuate slot.

in a Sifter, the combination of a hopper, a discharge funnel detachably connected therewith, said hopper and funnel having interfitted meeting portions offset from the vertical plane thereof and cooperatively providing along their line of separation an inwardly facing ll-shaped channel or groove. a Sifter comprising a body of screen wire and a sheet metal frame folded to provide an annular groove and clamping members lying .1:

inside said groove and embracing the edge of the screen wire and a stiffening wire e3;- tending around the groove of the screen frame, forming therewith a stiffened peripheral bead engaging said U-shaped channel or groove, said U-shaped channel or groove being provided with cut-away portions forming an arcuate slot, and an operating handle for the sieve formed of a continuation of said stiffening wire extending outwardly through said slot.

5. in a sifter, the combination of casing comprising a hopper and a discharge funnel detachably connected therewith, said hopper and funnel being provided with meeting portions flanged to form an inwardly facing l..lshaped channel or groove along their line of separation, said channel or groove lying substantially beyond the vertical plane of the wall of the casing and having a slot at a point in the circumference thereof, a sieve peripherally engaging said groove and comprising a body of screen wire and an annular frame therefor formed of sheet metal embracing the edge of the wire and having a grooved margin and a stiffening wire held in said grooved margin and extended to form an operating handle projecting through said slot, and fastening means on the hopper adapted to interlock with the forming portions of said ll-shaped channel or groove.

6. in a Sifter, the combination of a casing comprising a hopper and a discharge funnel connected therewith, said hopper and funnel having flanged portions at their meeting edges forming an outwardly offset inwardly facing U-shaped channel or groove lying substantially beyond the vertical plane of the wall of the casing and having an arcuate slot, one of the groove forming flanges being provided with notches, spring fasteners engaging said notches and detachahly securing the tunnel member to the hopper, a sieve having its peripheral portion fitted in said (channel or groove, and an operating handle on the sieve extending outwardly through said arcuate slot.

In a sitter, the combination of a casing comprising a hop er and a discharge tunnel detacliahly connected therewith, flanges l.- shaped upon the meeting portions of the hopper and tunnel forming an outwardly offset inrmrdly facing lJ-shaped channel or groove lying substantially beyond the vertical plane of the wall of the casing and provided with a at a point in the circuuiterence thereof, a depending vertical apron upon the inside of the hopper parallel with the wall tllQlQ-BOYE, a screen having its peripheral Vertical portion fitted in said U-shaped chani'zel or groove, said screen having an upwardly projecting portion fitting in the space between the apron and wall of the hopper, and an operating handle upon said screen extending outwardly through said slot.

8. In a device of the class described, a hopper open at its lower end, a substantially right angularly disposed extension projecting outwardly from the lower end of said hopper, a downturned portion at the outer portion hop 1 a coozit ire with said funnel at the upper end thereoi' and projecting outwardly there ro'n, a flange e:-;tending upwardly from th outer extremity of said seat and adapted toe with the downturned of said enter sion, a screen member within said tunnel, a iine enclosing the edges oi? sail estingupon said seat, on extension on said frame projecting into said hopper and lying; against the wall thereof, an apron carried by the interior of said hopper and engaged over said extension, and a hand ineniher carri l by said screen and urojecoiiw to the exteri 3 of said funnel.

5). in a device of the class described, a hop per, a tunnel engagedwith the lower end of said hopper, an upstat'iding flange on said tiuuiel adapted to enga e with said hopper, a head on the upper end of said flange, the said head being cut away to provide a substantially narrow therein, a spring arm connected with said hopper and extending dornwurdly below the lower edge thereof, the said arm adapted to engage in said gap of th flange, and a latch portion on said arm to ex around said flange.

ln testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN Y. ROBERTSON. 

